Loading system

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a method and a device for handling artillery shells ( 14-16 ) when loading artillery guns ( 1 ) that have an integral shell magazine ( 9 ) fixed in the traverse system but independent from the elevating mass, which magazine on command feeds out shells ( 14-16 ) one by one with a specific linear velocity in the longitudinal axis of each shell. Each shell is subsequently transferred to the loading position for the gun by a loading pendulum ( 13 ) and cradle ( 6 ). The basic idea behind the present invention is that the outfeed velocity of the shells ( 14-16 ) from the magazine ( 9 ) shall be braked to zero in a brake module ( 12 ) mounted on the gun while they lie in a shell carrier ( 17, 18 ) mounted on the loading pendulum ( 13 ). Immediately after the linear velocity of the shell has been braked to zero and its rear plane has been reversed to a pre-defined position the shell carrier ( 17, 18 ) takes over the handling of the shell and re-angles it to coincide with the angle of elevation of the gun, and transfers the shell to a laterally displaceable shell loading cradle ( 6 ).

The present invention relates to a method and a device for handlingartillery shells when loading artillery guns that have an integral shellmagazine fixed in the traverse system but independent from the elevatingmass, which magazine on command feeds out shells one by one with aspecific linear velocity in the longitudinal axis of each shell. Eachshell is subsequently transferred to the loading position for the gun bya loading pendulum and cradle.

The logical location for a magazine incorporated in the gun and fixed inthe traverse system but independent from the elevating mass is directlybeside the gun as the magazine must not obstruct the recoil of the gun.This in turn means that transfer of shells from the magazine toalignment with the breech opening must involve both a lateral transferto alignment with the direction of the barrel and adjustment of theangle to coincide with the angle of elevation of the gun.

The present invention is primarily intended for heavy and mediumartillery guns that are equipped with a fully automatic loading system.

On the eve of the 21^(st) century one must count on the fact that eachartillery gun will necessarily be self-propelled and constitute its ownartillery system, thus incorporating its own fire control and asufficient number of rounds for at least a limited number ofengagements. The capabilities that already exist for locating artilleryguns that give fire and then rapidly deploying counter-fire will resultin a requirement for an absolute minimum limit on the time that anartillery gun can be permitted to give fire, after which the artillerygun must leave the deployment sites rapidly as possible.

The need to fire the maximum number of rounds in the shortest possibletime more or less assumes that the guns are equipped with fullyautomatic loading systems. Such fully automatic loading systems must beable to handle a number of different types of shells and propellantcharges which, moreover, may often be fired directly after each other inone and the same artillery salvo. This means in turn that both shellsand propellant charges must be handled at the greatest possible speedinside their respective magazines, as well as between the magazines andthe loading pendulums and cradles normally used to transfer shells andpropellant charges between each magazine and the breech opening.

By reason of their relatively high dead weight shells especially maygive rise to a number of handling problems resulting from thecombination of their dead weight and the high handling velocities thatmay be upwards of several metres per second.

The gun system in the present invention assumes that the shell magazineis incorporated in the traverse system but is not part of the elevatingmass. To enable the gun to maintain a high rate of fire it is necessaryfor the shells to be fed out from the shell magazine at high speed andthen to have this outfeed velocity braked to zero immediatelythereafter, then—at the same high speed—be re-positioned to the sameangle of elevation as the gun and be rammed.

Ramming the shells into the gun necessitates a loading cradle andrammer. It must also be possible for the cradle to be moved to the sideso as not to obstruct gun recoil. In addition to the transfer movementsof the shell already mentioned, the shell needs to be moved laterallywhile located in the cradle.

Even if a lateral transfer movement and ramming of the shells areassumed to be achieved using a separate loading cradle, a loadingpendulum that can both brake and re-align the shells will necessarily beheavy and unwieldy.

As claimed in the present invention it is proposed that these twofunctions be divided between two closely interacting but mechanicallyindependent devices of which the first—the brake module—is designed toreceive the shell and brake its outfeed motion within a short lineardistance and provide a pre-defined stop position for the rear plane ofthe shell, after which the brake device of the brake module isdeactivated and the shell is taken over by the shell loading pendulumthat re-aligns it with the angle of the rammer that shall coincide withthe angle of elevation of the gun and the shell shall be transferred tothe rammer. Retardation of the shell is thus achieved during a shortforwards motion, after which the shell is returned rearwards a shortdistance to a pre-defined stop position. By using a pre-defined stopposition for the rear plane of the shell as the initial point fortransfer of the shell to the loading pendulum we have devised a devicethat can handle shells of various lengths designed for the sameartillery gun. We must, namely, assume that in the future there will beshells available in different lengths designed for different purposesand ranges.

On a practical level it is proposed that the device as claimed in thepresent invention be designed with a first brake device mounted in thebrake module that grips the front section of the shell and that islinked to a linearly operating short-stroke brake and return function.The brake device is thus designed with a grab jaws device openable inone direction, preferably downwards, that is suitably equipped withbrake blocks for engagement with the front conical nose section of theshell.

As the brake device grips the shell ahead of the centre of the shell,the centre and rear sections of the shell are available for engagementwith the shell carrier incorporated in the loading pendulum. As claimedin one development of the present invention this shell carrier isdesigned so that initially it constitutes a guide chute for the shellsfrom the outfeed aperture of the magazine to the brake blocks of thebrake device. The shell can also be returned in the guide chute to restagainst a deployable rear stop lug that shall constitute the pre-definedrear stop position. As soon as the shell has reached this stop positionthe brake device can be deactivated/opened after which the shell loadingpendulum-which is arranged in parallel with the linear direction ofmotion of the brake device and that is pivotable around the trunnioncentre of the gun—can be pivoted downwards towards the loading pendulumwithout the brake device obstructing the shell carried in the shellcarrier. Simultaneous with this movement the shell carrier is re-angledrelative to the loading pendulum carrier arm so that when the shellreaches the rammer the shell has a horizontal angle position that isparallel to the shell loading cradle. The re-angling of the actualloading pendulum can be achieved using a chain-drive driven by anelectric motor, while the re-angling between the loading pendulumcarrier arm and the shell carrier can, for example, be controlled by aslewing bracket system between the loading pendulum and the shellcarrier in which the slewing bracket system is controlled by a fixed arcmounted on the gun that always gives the shell carrier the correct angledepending on the angular position of the shell loading pendulum.

Provided the shell in the shell carrier is at an angle so that at leastpart of its own weight rests against the previously mentioned deployablestop lug throughout the re-angling of the shell carrier until it reachesthe shell loading cradle, no special securing device will be needed forthe shell as its own weight will ensure that it lies still in the shellcarrier during re-angling.

As claimed in the above indicated functional sequence the shell carriermust, in the first instance, act as a guide chute leading to the brakeblocks of the brake device for the shells fed out from the magazine athigh velocity by a force imparted from the rear and, secondly, mustsecure each shell during re-angling—achieved by its own rearwards actingweight against the stop lug—and ,thirdly, be able to release the shellthrough its base section to the rammer. One way to manufacture adownwards opening shell carrier having the basic shape of a horizontalsemi-cylindrical chute is based on the use of two quarter-cylindricalshaped carrier plates that in initial position meet with a longitudinaljoint along the centre of the chute thus formed, and which plates can bedisplaced or pivoted away from each other with the axis of the cylinderas pivot axis until they meet each other along their other longitudinaledges at the diametrically opposite side of the axis of the cylinderwhereby the base of the chute is completely open. This type of motioncan be achieved, for example, if each of the quarter-cylindrical shapedcarrier plates is mounted on at least two semi-circular carrier yokesthat are displaceable along similar semi-circular guides fixed above theoutfeed direction of the chute. Displacement of the semi-circularcarrier yokes along the guides can be by means of a cog driven by anelectric motor and operating directly on the gear teeth in thesemi-circular carrier yokes.

If in the method indicated above these semi-circular carrier yokes aredisplaced along the guides to the open position of the device thequarter-cylindrical shaped carrier plates meet in the upper position ofthe cylindrical space, while in closed position they meet under thecentre of the guide chute that they form.

The present invention is defined in the subsequent Patent Claims andshall now be described in further detail with reference to the appendedfigures in which

FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through the traverse system of thegun in question,

FIG. 2 shows a section of the same system viewed from above,

FIGS. 3-6 show views to a larger scale of parts of FIG. 1 illustratingthe various sequence stages when loading the gun in question,

FIG. 7 shows a diagonal section of the shell carrier to a larger scale,and

FIG. 8 shows a diagonal section of the brake module to a larger scale.

Parts shown on more than one figure have the same designationirrespective of scale and projection.

The gun 1 in the various figures has a barrel 2, a trunnion centre 3around which the barrel can be pivoted for elevation, and a basicallydrawn breech ring 4 incorporating the breech opening for loading and thebreech mechanism. The elevating mass incorporates guide beams 5 on whichis mounted a laterally displaceable loading cradle 6. The latter isequipped with a flick rammer 7. The gun 1 is mounted in a battlefieldfragment-proof turret. The turret also incorporates a fixed shellmagazine 9 as well as a propellant charge magazine with ancillaryequipment that is not directly illustrated but is assumed to be locatedin compartment 10.

The shell magazine 9 has a shell outfeed aperture 11 through whichfreely selectable shells can be fed out at a velocity of several metresper second.

Other main components illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 are the brake module12 that is assumed to be securely mounted relative to the turret 8, andthe loading pendulum 13.

The latter is equipped with a shell carrier that is described later.Shells are generally designated 14.

The following description refers primarily to FIGS. 3-6 on which onlythe parts directly concerned are illustrated.

On FIG. 3 a shell 15 is fed out from the magazine 9 indicated on thefigure. Another shell 16 is on the loading cradle ready for ramming.Shell 16 is rammed by the flick rammer 7 in the direction indicated byarrow A. Shell 15 is fed forwards in the direction indicated by arrow B,and the pointed nose section thus passes through the shell carrierdevices 17 and 18 of the loading pendulum 13. The shell carrier, whichis described in more detail in conjunction with FIG. 7, is openabledownwards and is fitted with a rear deployable stop lug 33 that is usedto give the shells a pre-defined rear stop position.

The nose section of shell 15 illustrated on FIG. 3 passes at highvelocity through the shell carrier devices 17 and 18 until it reaches agrab comprising two brake jaws 22 and 23 (see FIG. 8), each of which isfitted with two brake blocks 24, 25 and 26, 27. The brake jaws 22 and 23are in turn pivot mounted and operated by electromagnets 29 and 30.Brake jaws 22 and 23 are thus openable. In closed position they engagewith the shell 15 at a point along its tapered nose section. The brakejaws 22 and 23 are mounted via shaft 28 on an outfeed brake device 31operating linearly in the outfeed direction of the shell 15 that rapidlystops the linear motion of the shell 15 and, as soon as it has stopped,reverses it until its rear plane rests against the stop lug 33 deployedin the meantime.

As soon as shell 15 has stopped and assumed its pre-defined positionagainst stop lug 33 the status is as illustrated in FIG. 4.Simultaneously the brake jaws 22 and 23 open and the loading pendulum 13starts to swing down around the trunnion centre 3 in the directionindicated by arrow C. The shell carrier devices 17 and 18 are pivotmounted on a pivot shaft 32 mounted at the other end of the loadingpendulum 13. The pivoting of shell 15 around pivot shaft 32 iscontrolled by a control arc mounted on the gun and a linkage system thatare not illustrated herein. The angle between the loading pendulum 13and the shell carrier is thus dependent on the angle of the loadingpendulum 13 relative to the gun. During the re-angling of the shell 15to the angle of elevation of the gun the shell carrier always has aslight rearwards tilt so that the shell remains pressed against stop lug33. This eliminates the need for a special retention device to hold theshell in place in the shell carrier. The drive motor for the loadingpendulum has not been illustrated in the figures so as not to obscuremore pertinent features. It could, for example, comprise an electricmotor located beside the loading pendulum and driving the latter via achain system. By changing the angle of the shell 15 around both its axes(i.e. the gun's trunnion centre 3 and the shell carrier pivot shaft 32)the angle of the shell shown in FIG. 5 can gradually be changed relativeto its outfeed direction until its angular position is the same as theangle of elevation of the gun which coincides with the angle of theshell loading cradle 6. The latter can be displaced laterally relativeto the barrel 2 so as not to obstruct barrel recoil. The loadingpendulum 13 and the shell loading cradle 6 can thus be aligned with eachother when the shell is to be transferred between them.

As soon as the shell loading cradle 6 has received a new shell and thebarrel is not in process of recoil nor is about to recoil, the shellloading cradle is displaced laterally to the position shown in FIG. 2,i.e. in direct alignment with the breech ring/opening 4.

Moreover, it should be noted that the shell loading pendulum 13 isparallel to and beside the brake module 12 while the shell carrierdevices 17 and 18 via their pivot shaft 32 are parallel to and, at theinstant of shell outfeed from the magazine, in line with the brake jaws22 and 23 that receive the shell.

As the shell carrier 17, 18 is tilted slightly rearwards throughout there-angling of the shell, i.e. until the shell reaches the loading cradle6, no special gripping appliance is required for the shell which simplyrests against the stop lug 33 during the entire re-angling sequence aspreviously indicated.

The shell carrier illustrated in FIG. 7 shows the pivot shaft 32 bymeans of which the carrier is pivot mounted on loading pendulum 13, andthe rear stop lug 33 including the latter's control device in the formof a solenoid valve 34. The two halves of the actual shell carrier 17and 18 each consist of two semi-circular carrier yokes 35-38 of which35, 36 and 37 are visible in the figure. Each pair of thesesemi-circular carrier yokes, one pair at each end, are attached at eachend to two quarter-cylindrical shaped carrier plates 39 and 40. Thesemi-circular carrier yokes are displaceably mounted on twosemi-circular support sections 41 and 42 which are in turn mounted ateach end of the shell carrier mainpiece 43 which is an integral part ofthe shell carrier. Both the quarter-cylindrical shaped carrier plates 39and 40 are initially in their lower position resting against each otheralong two adjoining longitudinal edges forming a guide and carrier chutefor the shells. On the shell carrier mainpiece 43 there is also anelectric motor 44 which, via gear wheel units 45 and 46 arranged on alevel with the semi-circular carrier yokes 35-38, can displace thesemi-circular carrier yokes 35-38 along the semi-circular supportsections 41 and 42 until the opposite longitudinal edges of thequarter-cylindrical shaped carrier plates 39 and 40 meet immediatelybelow the shell carrier mainpiece 43. In this position the lower half ofthe cylindrical space formed by the shell carrier when closed becomesfully opened. It is thus this open position that the shell carrier 17,18 assumes when it is to transfer a shell to the loading cradle 6.

The next function stage is to remove the shell carrier 17, 18 from theloading cradle 6, to laterally displace the latter to its final positionin alignment with the barrel 2, and to activate the flick rammer 7 toram the shell into the breech. After the round has been fired thecomplete finction sequence can be activated for the next round.

I claim:
 1. A method for handling artillery shells in artillery gunsthat have an integral shell magazine fixed in the traverse system butindependent from an elevating mass which on command outfeeds shellsthrough a shell magazine outfeed aperture one by one with a specificlinear velocity along a longitudinal axis of each shell and where eachshell after outfeed is transferred laterally in relation to its ownlongitudinal axis to a gun loading position immediately outside thebreech ring partly by a loading pendulum designed to pivot around atrunnion centre of the gun and whose task is to overcome the differencein angle between the shell magazine outfeed axis and the angle ofelevation of the gun and partly by a shell loading cradle whose task isto overcome the lateral distance between the location of the shellmagazine outfeed aperture and the breech ring wherein the linear outfeedmotion of each shell after it has completely left the magazine is brakedto zero through a limited linear distance in a dedicated brake modulemechanically independent from the loading pendulum and from which modulethe loading pendulum takes over the shell as soon as the shell hasreached a pre-defined stop position for its rear plane.
 2. A method asclaimed in claim 1 wherein each shell when fed out from the shellmagazine is fed through a shell carrier interconnected with the loadingpendulum and operating initially as a guide chute until after the linearmotion of the shell has been braked to zero when the shell in the sameshell carrier is transferred to a position directly above the shellloading cradle for a subsequent lateral displacement to the designatedloading position immediately behind the breech ring of the gun.
 3. Adevice as claimed in the method in claim 1 for handling artillery shellsin artillery guns that have an integral shell magazine fixed in thetraverse system but independent from the elevating mass of a type whichon command outfeeds shells one by one with a specific linear velocity inthe longitudinal axis of each shell and where each shell after outfeedshall be re-angled to coincide with the angle of elevation of the gunand shall be transferred laterally in relation to its longitudinal axisto the loading position immediately outside the breech ring partly by aloading pendulum designed to pivot around the trunnion centre of the gunand whose task is to overcome the difference in angle between the shellmagazine outfeed axis and the angle of elevation of the gun and partlyby a shell loading cradle whose task is to overcome the lateral distancebetween the location of the shell magazine outfeed aperture and thebreech ring wherein the device comprises both the loading pendulum,pivotable around the trunnion centre of the gun and equipped with ashell carrier and the brake module that is mechanically independent ofthe loading pendulum and is initially aligned with the loading pendulumshell carrier which module operates in initial mode via brake jawsarranged initially in line with the loading pendulum shell carrier.
 4. Adevice as claimed in claim 3 wherein its loading pendulum is configuredwith a pendulum arm that at one end has a first pivot shaft around whichit is manoeverable to various angles around the trunnion center of thegun and at the other end a second pivot shaft parallel with the firstaround which the loading pendulum shell carrier is maneuverable tovarious angles relative to the loading pendulum and whereby the settingof the angle positions at each of these pivot shafts is controlledseparately.
 5. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the brake jaws ofthe brake module are arranged so that they grip each shell fed out aheadof the shell carrier in the outfeed direction.
 6. A device as claimed inclaim 5 wherein the brake module brake jaws and the shell carrierdevices of the loading pendulum are aligned so that when a shell is fedout from the shell magazine the shell carrier devices form a passage forthe nose section of each shell fed out extending to the brake modulebrake jaws and whereby the shell carrier devices of the loading pendulumare openable.
 7. A device as claimed in claim 6 wherein the brake moduleis designed so that after it has braked the linear outfeed motion of theshell to zero it reverses the shell until its rear plane rests against apermanently pre-defined stop position.
 8. A device as claimed in claim 6wherein the shell carrier devices of the loading pendulum constitute asemi-cylindrical space adapted to the shell calibre in question whichspace is defined by two quarter-cylindrical shaped carrier plates facingeach other with their lower-most longitudinal edges meeting in a commonbottom joint while in shell carrier mode thus forming a guide chutededicated to each shell and which quarter-cylindrical shaped carrierplates are so designed that they can be pivoted around an axiscoinciding with the longitudinal axis of the shell carrier so that theythen meet along their opposite longitudinal edges in a longitudinaljoint extending along the upper side of the shell carrier whereby thelower half of the cylindrical space is left completely open.
 9. A deviceas claimed in claim 6 wherein each quarter-cylindrical shaped carrierplate comprises at least two semi-circular carrier yokes and, when theshell carrier is in closed mode, downwards facing quarter-cylindricalshaped carrier plates which, as the semi-circular carrier yokes can bedisplaced along the upwards facing semi-circular carrier sections, canbe moved together above the cylindrical space thereby leaving the lowerhalf open.
 10. A device as claimed in the method in claim 2 for handlingartillery shells in artillery guns that have an integral shell magazinefixed in the traverse system but independent from the elevating mass ofa type which on command outfeeds shells one by one with a specificlinear velocity in the longitudinal axis of each shell and where eachshell after outfeed shall be re-angled to coincide with the angle ofelevation of the gun and shall be transferred laterally in relation toits longitudinal axis to the loading position immediately outside thebreech ring partly by a loading pendulum designed to pivot around thetrunnion centre of the gun and whose task is to overcome the differencein angle between the shell magazine outfeed axis and the angle ofelevation of the gun and partly by a shell loading cradle whose task isto overcome the lateral distance between the location of the shellmagazine outfeed aperture and the breech ring wherein the devicecomprises both the loading pendulum, pivotable around the trunnioncentre of the gun and equipped with a shell carrier and the brake modulethat is mechanically independent of the loading pendulum and isinitially aligned with the loading pendulum shell carrier which moduleoperates in initial mode via brake jaws arranged initially in line withthe loading pendulum shell carrier.
 11. A device as claimed in claim 4wherein the brake jaws of the brake module are arranged so that theygrip each shell fed out ahead of the shell carrier in the outfeeddirection.
 12. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the shell carrierdevices of the loading pendulum constitute a semi-cylindrical spaceadapted to the shell calibre in question which space is defined by twoquarter-cylindrical shaped carrier plates facing each other with theirlower-most longitudinal edges meeting in a common bottom joint while inshell carrier mode thus forming a guide chute dedicated to each shelland which quarter-cylindrical shaped carrier plates are so designed thatthey can be pivoted around an axis coinciding with the longitudinal axisof the shell carrier so that they then meet along their oppositelongitudinal edges in a longitudinal joint extending along the upperside of the shell carrier whereby the lower half of the cylindricalspace is left completely open.
 13. A device as claimed in claim 7wherein each quarter-cylindrical shaped carrier plate comprises at leasttwo semi-circular carrier yokes and, when the shell carrier is in closedmode, downwards facing quarter-cylindrical shaped carrier plates which,as the semi-circular carrier yokes can be displaced along the upwardsfacing semi-circular carrier sections, can be moved together above thecylindrical space thereby leaving the lower half open.
 14. A device asclaimed in claim 8 wherein each quarter-cylindrical shaped carrier platecomprises at least two semi-circular carrier yokes and, when the shellcarrier is in closed mode, downwards facing quarter-cylindrical shapedcarrier plates which, as the semi-circular carrier yokes can bedisplaced along the upwards facing semi-circular carrier sections, canbe moved together above the cylindrical space thereby leaving the lowerhalf open.
 15. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the shells arereleased in a downward motion from the dedicated brake module.
 16. Amethod as claimed in claim 1 wherein each shell is also translatedvertically during transfer to the loading position.
 17. A method forhandling artillery shells in artillery guns, the method comprising:providing a shell magazine in a traverse system; providing a loadingpendulum that pivots about a trunnion center; outfeeding shells througha shell magazine outfeed aperture, wherein the shells have a linearvelocity along a longitudinal axis of each shell as they are outfed fromthe aperture; braking the linear velocity of each shell through a lineardistance in a brake module; and transferring each shell to a gun loadingposition outside a breech ring of a barrel, partly by the loadingpendulum that pivots around a trunnion centre of the gun, wherein theloading pendulum pivots the shells to reduce a difference in anglebetween a shell magazine outfeed axis and an angle of elevation of thegun, and partly by a shell loading cradle that translates the shellstoward the gun loading position, and wherein the loading pendulum pivotsaway from the brake module as it pivots the shells.
 18. A method asclaimed in claim 17 comprising: releasing the shells in a downwardmotion from the brake module.
 19. A method as claimed in claim 18wherein outfeeding comprises: feeding shells through a shell carrierconnected with the loading pendulum, wherein the shell carrier guidesthe shells until the linear motion of the shell has been braked to zero,and wherein the shell carrier pivots with the loading pendulum.
 20. Amethod as claimed in claim 18 wherein braking the linear velocity ofeach shell comprises: operating the brake module in an initial modewherein brake jaws of the brake module are initially aligned with theloading pendulum shell carrier.
 21. A device as claimed in claim 20braking the linear velocity of each shell comprises: gripping the shellsin the brake jaws of the brake module so that the brake jaws grip eachshell.
 22. A method as claimed in claim 21 wherein the brake modulebrakes each shell's motion to zero velocity.